Top 10 Comic to TV Adaptations

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We count down our favorite series based on comic books.

By IGN TV Staff

Here at IGN TV we're as much comic book fans as we are television fans so it likely comes as no surprise to IGN readers that the IGN staff spends time discussing the best comic-to-TV adaptations. We've put together a top 10 list of our favorites -- not every comic book-based show we've ever enjoyed are on here, just the ten comic adaptations that we've enjoyed the most. You'll find both live-action and animated series represented on our list, with a shade more cartoons showing up, thanks in part to the bevy of great adaptations in the past 15 years.

After you read through our list, let us know what you think, and we'll include your thoughts in a future edition of the IGN TV Mailbag.

Though quality-wise it's a mixed bag, Smallville has proven to be an enduring and notable addition to the Superman mythos. The series is essentially a new take on the old Superboy stories, beginning with Clark Kent as a high school student, just figuring out how to use his powers. However, this version of Clark has not yet taken on any sort of superhero identity, much less a costume.

The show is a mix of superheroics and teen drama, with Clark juggling the trauma of potential romance with the trauma of being attacked by a supervillain. Smallville has never fully lived up to its potential -- the long-running Clark/Lana romance became a huge chore to sit through and some of the stories are far too formulaic -- but still, throughout its run, the series has told some fun stories. It also has delivered a very strong character in the form of Lex Luthor (a very compelling Michael Rosenbaum), who in this version of the Superman story we watch suffer an Anakin Skywalker-like fall from grace, as he slowly turns into the megalomaniac villain he's destined to be.

Also, if you're a DC Comics fan, the past couple of years of Smallville have been very notable. While there have been constant delays in getting any DC character turned into a film unless their name starts with Bat or Super, Smallville has introduced numerous familiar faces into the modern live-action world, with guest appearances from Impulse, Cyborg, Aquaman, Martian Manhunter and Green Arrow. Going into its seventh season this fall, Smallville, starring Tom Welling as Clark, has already surpassed Superman's many previous live-action TV incarnations, including the George Reeves and Dean Cain eras, to become the longest running Superman series in history.

With a more dedicated approach to recreating the Spider-Man comics on TV -- much like Marvel's popular X-Men: The Animated Series (which was running at the same time) -- Spider-Man (1994) would use familiar storylines and villains to make the highest quality cartoon possible. After five seasons, the final product of this series was 65 episodes of quality Spider-Man stories which set the bar for Spider-Man and comic book cartoons to come.

Sure, Spider-Man might not have been as popular as X-Men: The Animated Series, but that didn't stop it from being quality animation which would help usher in a new respect for comic book properties. With the help of DC's Batman and Superman cartoons as well as Marvel's X-Men, comic books were given a new life on television in the '90s. Spider-Man deserves quite a bit of credit as far as this goes, as the show spent time on storylines which were taken straight from the comics and recreated in the animated universe with only minor changes. With storylines such as the Secret Wars, The Alien Costume Saga and other popular Spidey tales, fans of the comic books were finally able to respect the animated interpretations of their favorite characters -- without sitting through cheesy plots and dialogue.

For better or worse, this is probably the most well-known comic book-derived television series ever. The 1960s Batman took DC's character and vaulted him into the ranks of the most popular characters in the world, introducing him to many fans who might not have ever read a comic book about the Caped Crusader. Of course where many comic book fans take issue with this series is in its incredibly campy and tongue-in-cheek tone, which played everything in a farcical manner. Many believe (and they probably have a point) that this series gave the general public an idea of superheroes as being something to not take seriously, which would take decades to dissuade. And yes, we're as sick as you are of articles that begin with "Pow!" or "Bam!", in a nod to the visible comic book "sound effect" balloons this series employed in the fight scenes.

However, taken on its own terms, Batman is a very fun and entertaining show. It was campy, yes, but it was well done camp -- look no further than the movie Batman & Robin to see how easy it is to mess that up -- and there's some legitimately funny and clever moments to be had in watching a show unafraid to have Batman and Joker compete against each other in a surfing contest. Probably owing to its "this is all a joke" sensibility, this show was unafraid to not have Batman and Robin look just as they did in the comics, and to feature a veritable army of famous Batman supervillians clad in colorful, comic book matching costumes, most of whom owe their now iconic status to this show. There's no doubt that not only did this show spread the widespread familiarity of Joker, Penguin and Catwoman -- it wasn't just random that they were the first three villains used in the Batman film series -- but it took Riddler, then a rather obscure villain, and elevated him to become one of his most well-known foes in Batman lore.

Plus, you can't deny the power of the Batman theme song, which is one of the best known and most catchy in television history. And while Adam West might not have exactly matched Bruce Wayne's comic book physique, Catwoman and Batgirl sure weren't hard on the eyes.